26 grapevine
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regarding research?
AUNTY RESEARCH AGONY
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.com.sg and we’ll have it
answered by experts in
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Here’s one from
our readers.
HOW DO YOU
FORMULATE A
Research Question
Pradeep Paul George, Senior Research Analyst, Health Services & Outcomes Research
Every research starts with a question. The
success of any research process relies, in part,
on how well investigators are able to translate
a clinical problem into a research question—a
task that is not so simple.
and peer inputs. You could provide an angle for your research
through insights stemming from your personal experience,
contemporary issues and engagement with literature and
guidance from mentors / peers. Narrowing, clarifying and
even redefining your questions are also part of the iterative
process of research question development.
What is a research question?
A research question is a statement that identifies the
phenomenon to be studied. A good research question
defines the investigation, sets boundaries and provides
direction for data collection and analysis. Developing a
researchable question can be challenging if you do not
know what you really want. Remember: “A question wellasked is a question well-answered”
Ask yourself the 5W’s (Who, What, When, Where and Why).
A strong research idea should pass the “so what” test. Think
about the potential impact of the research you are proposing.
What is the benefit of answering your research question?
Who will it help (and how)? If you cannot make a definitive
statement about the purpose of your research, it is unlikely to
be funded.
Where to start?
Forming and framing the right question should be seen
as an iterative process that is well informed by literature
Research directions are not always at the full discretion of
the research. Be mindful of the practicalities, appropriateness
of the topic, and the ability to get peer/ mentor and funding
support.
How to frame the research question?
The PICO approach
• The patient, population, or conditions of your interest.
Problem
• This could be, for instance, a treatment or diagnostic test, a prognostic factor, or an exposure.
The
Intervention
A
comparison
The outcome
of interest
• This is usually an alternative intervention with which to compare the intervention of interest.
• In studies of treatment effects this will usually be a comparison with accepted standard therapy or if no such therapy exists then with placebo.
• This could be, for example, pain relief, quality of life or survival.
• Defining the outcome precisely is critical as sample size for the research study and statistical
methods are determined by this.
PICO
Elements
A well-structured research question should usually contain four parts and
be contained within a single sentence. The process of framing a research
question can be summarized by remembering the acronym PICO - Problem,
Intervention, Comparison and Outcome.
Patient
Adults
Intervention
Binge drinking
Comparator
No Binge drinking
Example: In adults, is binge drinking compared with no binge drinking
associated with an increase in mortality?
OutcomeMortality
CATALYST ACCELERATING RESEARCH
grapevine 27
What are the characteristics of a good research question? “FINER” the better
The FINER criteria state that a research question must be feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, and relevant. When you think you may
have a good idea/ question, apply the “FINER” criteria to it to see if the question is good enough.
ComponentsQuestion
F - Feasible
Is the question answerable? Do you have access to all the materials you will need to do the study? Do you have
access to enough subjects? Will you have enough time and money? Do you have the expertise to do this study or
can you collaborate with someone who does?
I - Interesting
The question has to be interesting to the investigator, but should also be interesting to others.
N - Novel
Has this study been done before? Does it add to the current body of medical knowledge?
E - Ethical
Can the study be done in a way that does not subject subjects to excess risks? Will an IRB approve the study?
R - Relevant
Will it further medical science? Will the results change clinical practice, health policy or point towards further
avenues of research?
If your question fails on any one of these 5 criteria, it is probably not worth putting much effort into.
Conclusion
It is hard to formulate a good answer to a bad question, so spending time on formulating and refining an interesting, important, wellstructured, ethical, and practical research question is worthwhile. It will influence the choice of study design, the interpretation of
results and the writing-up of the research report.
References
•
O’Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential Guide to Doing Research. London: Sage. Chapter Three
•
Posing the research question: not so simple. [Can J Anaesth. 2009] - PubMed - NCBI [Internet]. [cited 2012 Jun 18]. Available from: http://www.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19247780
•
Research questions, hypotheses and objectives [Internet]. [cited 2012 Jun 18]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/
PMC2912019/
•
Guyatt, Gordon, et al. Users’ Guide to the Medical Literature. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008.
To find out more information on health services research, please visit www.hsor.nhg.com.sg or email [email protected]
Get yourself certified with a nationally recognised
Statement of Attainment (SOA) upon successful completion of
Proper Conduct of Research – Basic II (PC102)!
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(ATO), National Healthcare Group (NHG) Research & Development Office (RDO) will
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certificates. The accreditation is a testament to the quality of NHG’s training, and its ability
to deliver industry validated and endorsed competency-based training.
In March 2012, the Proper Conduct of Research – Basic II (PC102) module was
successfully accredited under the WSQ system for Clinical Research. The PC102 module
is equivalent to the “WSQ Perform Recruitment and Retention of Subjects in Clinical
Trials” Competency Unit. This revised PC102 module consists of online lectures, a trainerled classroom workshop and an on-site assessment. Upon successful completion of this
module, trainees receive both a “Statement of Attainment” (SOA), as well as a “Certificate
of Achievement” issued by WDA and NHG respectively.
What are the benefits for the trainees?
• Enhanced Module Curriculum: Face-to-face
workshop and assessment reinforce acquisition of
information
• Guide for career progression pathway: SOA certifies
that you have effectively demonstrated transferable
skill sets of industry standards
• Self-Directed Learning: Online lectures make
learning convenient at your own time and pace
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*(Eligibility Criteria Apply)
To find out more about the course, please visit www.research.nhg.com.sg
(Training and education>Course Categories>Proper Conduct of Research Courses)
ISSUE 12 JUL / AUG 2012